Here’s an amazing photo from last night’s thunder storm in San Francisco. Photographer Phil McGrew captured 8 bolts of lightning that struck the Bay Bridge at the same time! YES! This is a REAL photo!!

A woman paid $700 to a Miami Gardens tranny for a butt augmentation. The yet unidentified woman was unfortunately injected with a dangerous concoction of cement, glue and tire sealant. It was then sealed with super glue.

The “cosmetic procedure” was performed not in a clinic, but at a residence in Miami Gardens.

The result, as you can imagine, was disastrous. The woman ended up with a MRSA wound site infection and a case of pneumonia.

This is not the first time an incident like this has happened. Usually the injected substance is caulk or industrial-grade silicone. Of course, none of these items are approved for use anywhere in the body and usually result in serious infections and sometimes death.

Match.com has a list of things you should do while you’re SINGLE. And each thing is sort of designed to help you in your NEXT relationship. Here are the top five . . .

#1.) TRAVEL ALONE. It helps you build self-confidence, because you have to make every decision yourself. And learning to be more independent can help you in your next relationship, because being TOO dependant on other people can be a turn off.

#2.) STAY OUT ALL NIGHT. Just not EVERY night. But you have to be a LITTLE wild when you’re single, or you’ll regret it. Because once you’re with someone again, you won’t be ABLE to do whatever you want.

#3.) LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. So, if your ex was the one who did all the cooking and cleaning, don’t become a slob once you’re single.

#4.) SPEND A WEEKEND WITH A MARRIED COUPLE YOUR OWN AGE. Match.com says spending 48 hours with a real couple will remind you that relationships aren’t perfect. And then you won’t rush into a BAD one.

–And if your friends come off like some kind of perfect DREAM couple . . . don’t be fooled, and rush into another relationship even FASTER. Because people are usually on their best behavior when they have visitors.

#5.) STAY SINGLE FOR AT LEAST THREE MONTHS. According to Match.com, that’s how long you need to really process a break-up. Otherwise, your next relationship won’t be any better.

–It shouldn’t really be a RULE though, because you might meet someone TOMORROW. But the point is, if you just hop from one relationship to the next, you won’t give yourself enough time to reflect on why your last relationship failed.

A woman’s wrath is not to be dealt with lightly. Catherine Kieu Becker is under arrest for chopping off her husband’s penis and tossing it in the garbage disposal. I hope whatever he did was worth it. OUCH!

My sister forwarded to me this article about a moving example of the ultimate loyalty from a dog. Please read the article and watch the video below:

It’s a universal truth that dogs are man’s best friend, but they’re pretty darn loyal to their own as well. Case in point: this tear-inducing video, via the website Jezebel, showing a dog, shivering and disoriented, remaining loyally by the side of a stricken fellow canine amid the devastation of the Japanese tsunami.

You can watch the video below:

The video is a stark reminder that, as was the case when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, there will likely be thousands of pets orphaned or involuntarily abandoned due to the catastrophe in Japan. If you’d like to help efforts to help these animals, you can find info on doing so here.
UPDATE: CNN and the UK Telegraph have both reported that the dogs have been rescued since the footage aired, and are both receiving veterinary care; the more seriously wounded dog is at a clinic in the city of Mito, while the protective spaniel-type dog is receiving care at a shelter in the same town.
Here is an English translation of the voiceover exchange between the two reporters in the clip (translation courtesy of Toshiyuki Kitamura):

We are in Arahama area. Looks like there is a dog. There is a dog. He looks tired and dirty. He must have been caught in the tsunami. He looks very dirty.

He has a collar. He must be someone’s pet. He has a silver collar. He is shaking. He seems very afraid.

Oh, there is another dog. I wonder if he is dead.

Where?

Right there. There is another dog right next to the one sitting down. He is not moving. I wonder. I wonder if he is alright.

The dog is protecting him.

Yes. He is protecting the dog. That is why he did not want us to approach them. He was trying to keep us at bay.

I can’t watch this. This is a very difficult to watch.

Oh. Look. He is moving. He is alive. I am so happy to see that he is alive.

Yes! Yes! He is alive.

He looks to be weakened. We need to them to be rescued soon. We really want them rescued soon.

Oh good. He’s getting up.

It is amazing how they survived the tremendous earthquake and tsunami. It’s just amazing that they survived through this all.

WTF? O.B. Tampons discontinued? That just ain’t right! I’m PISSED!!! You KNOW it’s because one person didn’t read the label right & went into shock. SOOO shady .. Johnson & Johnson won’t comment. What is a girl to do now? Only the ladies will feel me on this topic .. you guys just ignore my o.b. tampon rant. Read this article. Here’s another article on the black market for o.b. tampons lol

Someone sent me this article today. I don’t know … What do you think about this??

Astronomers have restored the original Babylonian zodiac by recalculating the dates that correspond with each sign to accommodate millennia of subtle shifts in the Earth’s axis. Prepare to have your minds blown, all you people with easily blowable minds.

Here is the zodiac as the ancient Babylonians intended it—with the dates corresponding to the times of the year that the sun is actually in each constellation’s “house”—according to the Minnesota Planetarium Society’s Parke Kunkle:

I have a close family friend named Joe who was involved in a freak accident six weeks ago that changed EVERYTHING about his life. He was taken by life flight to the hospital and he remains in critical condition. He was a busy Dad active in the lives of his 3 kids during the week and on the weekend you could find him riding his motorcycle in the country for some R & R. In an instant, that was gone. He has needed several pints of blood and it has become apparent to those close to him that the blood banks are experiencing a blood shortage. Children’s Hospital is a trauma center for children who have experienced a life threatening event and they treat children in need every day.

If you live in Northern California, please support this blood drive to help Joe. The blood drive honoring Joe is in Modesto, California on October 30th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4212 Dale Road, Modesto, California.

If you can’t make it out the the blood drive, please take an hour this week to stop by your local Blood Centers of the Pacific or Red CrossBLOOD BANK to give. This is something that we all can do and it’s a gift that changes lives. For Joe and the children at Children’s Hospital and all of others that need our help, let’s give.

– Donating blood is safe, simple and it saves lives!

– Donating blood takes less than an hour and makes a direct impact on the lives of others.

– Anyone 17 years of age or older (16 with a parent’s permission) can give blood.

– You never know when you or someone you love may need blood – and there is no substitute for it.

Get ready for the bookstore massacre! Have you been noticing your local bookstores closing? In a few years, hard copy ‘books’ will be the thing of the past. I’m sad to see bookstores disappearing. I guess the digital world is indeed taking over! Check out this article I found:

BOSTON (MarketWatch) — Are we about to see bookstores closing across the country? I suspect so.

Look at the depressing proxy battle for what remains of Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS 15.36, +0.33, +2.20%) , the world’s largest chain of bookstores. You could hardly dominate an industry more than B&N has dominated the landscape of traditional bookstores. Yet its fortunes have fallen so far that management has hoisted the white flag and put it up for sale.

Barnes & Noble stock, which was flying high above $45 five years ago, has plummeted below $15. Wall Street’s view of its prospects is so dim that not even the news of a bid battle has set it alight. The only bright spot: The company’s e-book sales, which rocketed 51% last quarter.

(A vignette of a company in decline: Barnes & Noble’s annual filing shows that management and staff owns 5.5 million stock options, granted to them in previous years to give them an incentive to work harder and smarter. The options have an average exercise price of $20.19 — meaning most of them, if not all, are now seemingly worthless.)

digits: It’s the end of bookstores as we know them
MarketWatch Columnist Brett Arends tells the Digits show why bookstores may soon go the way of music retail stores, spurred by price cuts on e-book readers and sales of digital books.

As for the other giant of traditional bookstores: Borders Group Inc. (BGP 1.11, 0.00, 0.00%) stock has plummeted by as much as 95% from its peak. Indeed, Borders stock, at around $1.20, is now a fraction of the cost of a book.

Meanwhile, e-books have now reached that tedious cliché, the tipping point. Amazon.com Inc.’s latest Kindle e-book reader has sold out — weeks before it even started shipping. The new device is smaller, cheaper, and has a better screen.

Amazon (AMZN 124.86, +1.07, +0.86%) says it’s now selling more e-books than paper-based books — about 43 % more in the last quarter, including about 80% more in the final month.

It doesn’t end there.

Expect prices for e-book readers to start collapsing. How can Barnes & Noble still charge $149 for its Nook, or Borders $149 for the Kobo reader, when Amazon’s newer, better product sells for $139?

And, of course, it’s not just about e-book readers. People are also downloading electronic books onto their Apple (AAPL 243.13, +0.63, +0.26%) iPads, laptops, tablet computers, and cell phones. But e book readers are the key for serious readers. Their screens, unlike those on regular devices, emit no light into your eyes. So they are much better suited for reading.

While prices collapse, screens are getting better. The latest Kindles have the newest, improved version of “eInk” screens. (I’ve used one of these screens, and it’s a noticeable improvement.)

We already know how this story is going to end. We saw it with the cell phone and with the iPod. The devices and services get better and better until suddenly they go mainstream.

Three years ago, an e-book reader cost $400, offered a limited choice of books, and had a dark gray screen that wasn’t so easy on the eyes. Today they’re just over $100, offer almost unlimited choices of books, and the screens are excellent. And, naturally, you can download books over the air.

When these things happen, they happen quickly.

When I was growing up, record stores were a place you could hang out. In a really great store — one of those big city leviathans spread over several stories — you could spend the best part of a day flipping through the racks looking for hard-to-find records, obscure titles, things you’d never even heard of.

Teenagers today probably have no idea what I’m talking about. Who goes to a record store? Why don’t you just download your music onto your iPod?

As recently as 2001 there were music stores everywhere. As many as 80,000 people worked in them, according to the Labor Department. And that was a number that had been steady for years.

In 2002 the iPod took off. Today the number working in music stores is 20,000 — a 75% collapse.

As for the book industry: About 125,000 people still work in book stores and news dealers, according to Labor. How many of them will still have jobs in two years? Another 75,000 work in book publishing. When writers self-publish in electronic format, how many publishers will still be left?

Health authorities in the US have recalled 380 million eggs after hundreds of people contracted salmonella. Read the article below:

Wright County Eggs, the Iowa manufacturer of 320 million eggs that have been recalled nationwide, on Thursday revealed more brands and identification numbers for packages that may have been contaminated with salmonella.

The recall includes many popular brands sold in California supermarkets. A full list of affected brands and identification numbers can be found at www.eggsafety.org.

Contaminated eggs first were taken off shelves last Friday, but many consumers may have recalled cartons in their refrigerators. Eggs that are part of the recall should not be eaten, and can either be thrown away or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Kingston Springs Elementary School received severe damage during the recent flooding. The Cheatham County Board of Education has announced that monetary donations and supply donations would be accepted at the following locations.

The faculty and staff would like to thank everyone in communities near and far for their outpouring of love and support during this time. If you have a question concerning supply needs please e-mail Sue Hasse at sue.hasse@cheatham.k12.tn.us or call the office at Harpeth High School: 952-2811.

WHAT??????????????????????????????????? Hmmm…. Read this article People Magazine wrote about Sarah Palin’s earnings as Non-Governor:

Resigning as governor of Alaska last year to join the private sector has worked out splendidly – and lucratively – for Sarah Palin.

The 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate has earned at least $12 million, and probably more than that, since leaving office at end of July, according to an estimate by ABC News.

That’s mostly thanks to TV and book deals and lots of speaking appearances worth five and six figures each. ABC says its estimate, based on public records and news accounts, is conservative – and that the actual number is “probably much higher.”

San Francisco is well known for the cute sea lions that hang out near Pier 39. Recently, they’ve all disappeared! This article talks about their theory. But I know what’s up! I think they can sense something big is about to hit.. maybe so? maybe not? Who knows. We’ve had earthquakes for the past 3 days in the bay area. Two of them I felt and scared the crap out of me! Today, a HUGE 6.5 earthquake hit Ferndale, California, which is north of here! Let’s not forget the earthquake that hit San Diego not that long ago. Is this all a prelude to the BIG BIG one? I think so. If I’m right, I’ll open up my own psychic business.

Here’s the letter that Arnold Schwarzenegger sent to a California Assemblyman that’s causing some controversy for a ‘secret’ message. (Read the first letter of every line and tell me what you think!)

To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 1176 without my signature.

For some time now I have lamented the fact that major issues are overlooked while manyunnecessary bills come to me for consideration. Water reform, prison reform, and healthcare are major issues my Administration has brought to the table, but the Legislature justkicks the can down the alley.

Yet another legislative year has come and gone without the major reforms Californiansoverwhelmingly deserve. In light of this, and after careful consideration, I believe it isunnecessary to sign this measure at this time.

Hours after he worried America sick into thinking he was on a runaway balloon flying over Colorado – while he was just hiding in the attic – 6-year-old Falcon Henne, aka “Balloon Boy”, appears with his family on “Larry King Live.”

In this scene, Falcon admits that he heard his parents calling him, but declined to come out of the garage.

At 0:40, he mutters, “We did this for the show.”

This leads father Richard to try and explain what he just said. “Whenever we tell him things like, it’s a bad thing t do, he does go and hide,” he says.

During an interview with CNN on Thursday night, Wolf Blitzer asked the 6-year-old boy why he hadn’t responded to shouts of his name when he was apparently hiding in an attic. Falcon’s reply? “You guys said, uh, we did this for the show.” On Friday, similar questions on ‘Today’ made Falcon sick … as he literally threw up on air.

President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, a stunning decision that comes just eight months into his presidency. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it honored Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

The Nobel recipient receives a prize of about $1.4 million. Congratulations President Obama!

I found this article on slashfood.com . I thought it was interesting enough to copy and paste it below:

10 DIRTY LITTLE RESTAURANT SECRETSby Ben Widdicombe

There’s a reason most restaurants keep the kitchen doors closed — and it’s not just because it’s so hot back there.

It can be tough for restaurateurs to turn a profit and Slashfood has uncovered some of the ultra-dirty deeds even the best restaurants commit in order to pinch pennies.

Read on for 10 true stories about the subtle, sneaky and sometimes downright disgusting ways restaurants cheat to save a buck — and how you might be paying the price.

10. Using Cabbage in Place of Seaweed

Says a former maître d’ at an expensive Chinese restaurant known for its celebrity clientele: “The owner figured his customers knew nothing about Chinese food (he was right) and was a genius at saving money. A specialty supplier used to provide edible seaweed for the popular seaweed appetizer, but when that got too expensive the boss began experimenting.

“The ‘seaweed’ on the menu ended up becoming thin strips of cabbage leaf, deep-fried, and then rolled in equal amounts of salt and sugar. It’s possible even cardboard would taste good if prepared like that, but the dish remained a bestseller.”

9. Deep-Frying Everything

But that’s not all! At the same celebrity-friendly restaurant: “In addition to the ‘Chinese seaweed,’ the other two most popular dishes on the menu were a ‘Mongolian lamb’ main course and caramelized banana dessert,” the insider says.

“Often a diner would order all three, and not realize that every item was cooked in exactly the same deep-fry basket. Although the restaurant denied the lamb was fried, in fact the cabbage (ahem, ‘seaweed’), lamb shank and sugared banana would all go into the same oil.”

8. Substituting Top-Shelf Alcohol with Generic Booze

One of the most common scams at restaurant bars is to replace premium vodka with generic brands, subscribing to the theory that most customers can’t tell the difference. (We know of one restaurant which even did that with Scotch, but experienced whiskey drinkers could often tell and the scam was not so effective.)

A New York City bartender says, “The way of doing that is to start them on the bad vodka right away. You can’t sub it in once they started drinking the top shelf brands or they’ll notice. But if you serve the cheap stuff from the beginning they never know.”

7. Topping Pitchers of Beer with Seltzer Water

Don’t think the fiddling is restricted to top-shelf liquors, either. “In sports bars that sell pitchers of beers, the thing to do is to top the pitchers off with seltzer after the table has ordered like the third one,” a source says. “The drunker the guys, the more seltzer they get.”

6. Refilling Pricey Bottled Waters with Tap

It turns out not all water bottles are created equal. You might already suspect that some restaurants refill water bottles with tap water, but some places turn it into an art form. “Where I worked we served Voss water because it has the easiest screw top to re-seal,” a waitress says. “You can’t do that with the brands that have a bottle cap.”

5. Recycling Baskets of Chips

One diner at a landmark cafe in Bethlehem, Pa., reported digging in to some bagel chips and finding they contained old pineapple rinds.

“Someone else got served the chips, didn’t eat them all, threw their rinds from some other dish into the basket, the waiter picked it up without looking and threw more chips on top and re-served it to us,” the customer claimed on an online ratings Web site. “Yeech!”

Management didn’t seem to care and the patron says “they were trying to economize their chip ration, and it was probably standard practice to re-use uneaten chips.”

4. Serving Rotten Meat

A steakhouse employee in New York says that sometimes not all the meat is as fresh as it should be. “It’s an old trick to keep the steak that’s past its prime and wait until somebody orders it well done or medium-well,” the insider says. “The more you cook the meat, the more you disguise its flavor. When I’m eating out I never order anything higher than medium rare, because I know how the kitchen gets rid of bad meat.”

3. Using Fake Creamer

A former waitress at an upscale restaurant in Philadelphia reports that one of the daily duties of staff was to mix a large pot of non-dairy, powdered creamer. When coffee or tea was ordered, the small milk jugs were to be filled halfway with fake creamer, and then topped off with the more expensive real milk.

2. Serving Caffeinated Coffee as Decaf

If your body has a problem with caffeine, it might be safer to make your own coffee at home. The same Philadelphia source also reports coming back to the kitchen with a cup of regular coffee when an elderly customer had requested decaf. “The head waiter took the cup from my hand, handed it right back to me and said, ‘There — now it’s decaf,'” she says.

1. Souping Up Big Ticket Items

The most shocking story came from an internationally well-known West Coast restaurant — trust us, you’ve heard of this place. Part of the shtick of this very fine-dining establishment is the presentation of a truffle at the table, so that customers have the opportunity to order some (super expensive) shavings to be added to their food. But while white truffles are more expensive than black truffles, their aroma is more subtle, meaning that they make less of an impression when presented during the sales pitch. “What the staff would do is add black truffle oil, which is more pungent, to the white truffle, to give it more ‘pop,'” the insider says. “It’s an absolute no-no to do, especially at those prices. But who’s going to know?”

This is amazing…this is supposed to be the only footage ever taken of Anne Frank.

July 22 1941. The girl next door is getting married. Anne Frank is leaning out of the window of her house in Amsterdam to get a good look at the bride and groom. It is the only time Anne Frank has ever been captured on film. At the time of her wedding, the bride lived on the second floor at Merwedeplein 39. The Frank family lived at number 37, also on the second floor. The Anne Frank House can offer you this film footage thanks to the cooperation of the couple.